G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

I have been using my new G550 for a week. It is an excellent machine for the price range. The only thing I am not 100% happy with is the AC jack (i.e. where the AC adapter is plugged into the motherboard). I feel that it is rather flimsy and could break off the motherboard easily enough. I have been using Thinkpad for many, many years and have never seen one with such a weak connector.

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

That is something I also noticed when I had my G550. The connection doesn't seem anywhere near as robust as on my old Thinkpad. Perhaps it's best to leave it plugged in at the laptop connection and unplug at the AC adapter end?

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

I got the same problem. Is there actuallz anyone whos connector broke? Or did you just expect it to break but it didnt?

I realized that its pretty loose and that it doesnt seem stable built at all.

Will I need to send the laptop for fixing? Or will it just be allright if I dont touch it? I spent a lot of money for this laptop. That is really very much, and I am not willing to buy any other lenovo laptops if this is what I get for 500 dollars..

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

I have had no problems with the power jack on my Lenovo 3000 N200. It is not connected directly to the motherboard, but is mounted on a pigtail cable, which serves as strain relief and helps prevent breakage at that point. I don't know how your model's power jack works. The problem is not so much in the power jack being loose as in it ultimately failing to connect your AC power source to the battery, then the battery can't be recharged, and then finally the laptop can't work. If the power jack is hanging on a cable rather than being soldered direct to the motherboard, being loose is not as big a problem.

Broken and disintegrated power jacks ARE EXTREMELY COMMON on laptops where the powder jack is soldered to the motherboard, a common design flaw. I had a Toshiba M35x which lost 3 power jacks in one year before I retired it and bought my present Lenovo. Part of the reason I picked the Lenovo was its strain-relief power jack setup. Only Apple has a better method of protecting the power jack on Apple laptops. A friend of mine had 2 power jacks fail on the same laptop in 2 years.

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

Hi, I am running the Lenovo G550 with the Celeron Processor. I dont know whether the power jack is connected directly to the keyoard, or whether its connected to a wire, which would kind of solve the whole problem.

This is the point where I need information of a Lenovo Worker or someone who has information on the inside material, used in this laptop.

I suppose that the powerjack is not connected to the laptop, as i searched google i found a picture, proving that the powerjack is connected to a wire...could someone help as I am very unsure?

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

Yes, I would also like to know how the DC jack is connected on the G550. It may seems to be a trivial point ... but if someone asks me right now if I would recommend this laptop or not, this DC jack issue is the only thing that would prevent me from making a recommendation. For the price point, I like everything about this laptop for casual use (I have a ThinkPad T-series for "real" work). However, I don't want to recommend it to my friends & relatives if the DC jack falls apart 5 months later.

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

In my opinion how the power jack is connected to the motherboard is a key part of a laptop's quality, it is no trivial matter, just not a well-known one. If more laptop buyers knew and acted on this, laptop manufacturers would have to shape up or their sales would fall.

it is a replacement DC jack and cable for the G550 - I am assuming from looking at the item that this means there is a cable between the jack and the motherboard, rather than the jack being welded directly to the mobo.

Anyone else confirm/deny this?

Also, I'll ask again, has anyone's 550 been in for a repair because of this issue?

I'm hyperawareof the thing now and am also cr4pping myself about it failing as I use this laptop for my masters Degree and writing, I don't have another and can't afford a stand in if it has to go in for a repair (whihc, under warranty, I am assuming ain't quick!)

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

On many of these newer generations of systems in our product like, the design has actually moved away from a power in connector being directly soldered to the board. Most of the ones I have seen have a separate pigtail wiring to the connector. I'll take a look at the G550 to confirm that this has the separate connector.

I appreciate the feedback here and will continue to follow the discussion.

Re: G550 power connector - is this a weak point?

It is good to hear, and makes perfect sense, that later models of laptop have moved away from older designs that might have been the cause of issues or failures in the past.

I was looking for a mobo diagram online (with no luck) when I came across the product mentioned in my post above.

It'd be great if you can confirm one way or the other about the pigtail, or lack of.

Can I ask, if the power jack is connected by a pigtail cable, yet the power connector on the laptop wiggles noticeably, is that an issue in itself? And, what might be causing that? Is there anything users can do to make it more stable?

Thanks again for taking the time - I appreciate it and I am sure other posters will too.